What is DIPG?
What is DIPG?
DIPG, or diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, is a type of brain tumor found in an area of the brainstem known as the pons.
This type of tumor is aggressive and cannot be surgically removed due to its location in the Pons (the pons is a part of your brainstem which links your brain to your spinal cord).
The name diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma describes how the tumor grows, where it is found, and what kinds of cells give rise to the tumor.
Diffuse means that the tumor is not well-contained – it grows out into other tissue so that cancer cells mix with healthy cells.
Intrinsic simply means "in", referring to the point or origin.
Pontine indicates that the tumor is found in a part of the brainstem called the pons. The pons is responsible for a number of important bodily functions, like breathing, sleeping, bladder control, and balance.
Glioma is a general term for tumors originating from glial cells. Glial cells are found throughout the brain. They make up the white matter of the brain that surrounds and supports the neurons (neurons are cells that carry messages in the brain).
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DIPG cancer primarily affects children, with most diagnoses occurring between 5 and 7 years of age. It makes up 10-15% of all brain tumors in children, with about 150-300 new diagnoses per year in the United States.
Researchers do not yet know what causes DIPG. Like most cancers, DIPG occurs when something goes wrong with the process of cell reproduction. However, unlike many other cancers, there is no evidence that indicates DIPG is caused by environmental factors (exposure to chemicals or radiation), or specific inherited genetic variations. -
While research over the last ten years has helped improve treatment for DIPG patients, and somewhat increased life expectancy, the prognosis is still not good–with the median survival range being from 8-11 months1Unfortunately, fewer than 10% of children survive two years from diagnosis.
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There is currently no cure for DIPG; however, The Cure Starts Now and the DIPG Collaborative are the biggest funders of DIPG research and are vested in finding the cure to DIPG. With over $18 million of DIPG specific research collectively funded, these organizations are laser focused and fueled by their own children's battles with DIPG and brain cancer.